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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. toast — bread
  5. fine — high quality
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. row — a line
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spell — magic
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com